One of the questions reporters and multimedia journalists ask the most is “How can I find story ideas to break stories so I don’t have to take the ‘crumbs’ from the assignment desk?” You can do it by developing sources. Here are best practices:
Several new multimedia journalists are asking “How do you ask the tough questions viewers want when you haven’t done it before?”
Here are best practices for all journalists who want to sharpen their questioning skills. My comments are on the bottom of the screen as you watch this promo, which contains strong elements.
WRGB-TV/Albany General Manager Bob Furlong and News Director Lisa Jackson ensure the news product and promotion focus on tough questions. They’re an integral part of the station’s viewer advocacy brand.
They’re inexpensive, conserve energy, and don’t give off a lot of heat — but they’re a problem for new multimedia journalists especially. Galen Culver, a veteran multimedia journalist for KFOR-TV/Oklahoma City, calls them “the enemy”:
“Fluorescent lights drain color from whatever they illuminate. They make people look pasty and ordinary items look grayish. If you can put up one of your own lights, it helps. For interviews in a place like an office setting, setting up a light should become second nature. It doesn’t take that long and the rewards are worth it.”
Galen took these photos to illustrate how setting up a light works much better than fluorescents.
“Help!” A new multimedia journalist asked me for a few quick tips — fundamentals. Here’s an under two minute Learning Video.
You’ll see an example excerpted from an MMJ shooting his first story. My comments are at the bottom of the screen. Click on “HQ” on the bottom of the screen to ensure high quality.
Celebrating progress is an
imperative for stations transforming reporters and photographers into multimedia journalists. It requires not only hard work but also the ability to learn new skills while “doing your daytime job.”
Larry Roberts, Regional Vice President and General Manager of KCBI-TV/Boise, understands the need to recognize progress. He does it at the monthly meetings for all employees.
What impressed me the most was Larry’s dedication to learning about employee gripes through small group meetings, sharing the problems with the staff, then detailing how he’s resolving them.
In most cases, Larry reports he’s resolved the problems. He gets down to specifics. Call it GM Proof of Performance or strong leadership to rally the troops. The important point is that multimedia journalists and others who are asked to work harder and smarter need this type of recognition and support.
Larry explains his philosophy:
The current economic crisis is forcing all of us to do business in new ways. The result can be a cloud subtly hanging over our employees’ heads. While clouds are good for showing off our “Pinpoint Doppler Radar”, they’re never good when they create angst and a lack of security for our team. So now – more than ever – it’s imperative that we look for new ways to provide hope.
Hope costs us nothing. It springs to life when we’re acknowledged for doing a good job, or reminded of how critical we are to the success of the station. And when we celebrate the little victories that are easily ignored, but very real. Often the things we take for granted are the most important things. Like sight. Or hearing. Or a live shot that works.
New ENG truck? $150K. New camera? $10K. Reminding each other of the progress we’re making … priceless.
Multimedia Journalist standups are part of effective storytelling — and are quite do-able.
WSTM-TV/Syracuse, NY’s Alex Dunbar has served as a multimedia journalist for only a few months after joining the station in 1997 as a news and sports photographer.
How do you shoot your standups, Alex?
The P2 camera really helps with that. It’s very easy to go back and look at the standup right after I shoot it and see if I need to move slightly or tilt the camera down. With a tape based camera I’d always be worried about cueing up the tape properly so I didn’t record over something important but on P2 it’s a cinch.
Lighting?
Lighting can be a little tricky sometimes but I usually travel with a small stand light to help out or fill in a bit.
Your challenges?
The biggest challenge has definitely been finding time to get everything done while staying creative. When there’s a separate reporter and photographer, one person can log tape and write while the other one drives. In the interest of my safety and others I now have to wait to log tape until I get back to the station. I’ve recently had to cover a few stories that are close to two hours away from the station and that drive back can be very frustrating.
I think that having one person shoot and write can actually give a storytelling advantage. I was recently shooting a story about an upstate New York county that was very successful in selling their surplus on Ebay.
While in the manager’s office, I noticed he had a large collection of Yankees bobble heads and it allowed me to get sound bites and a shot sequence that worked well together.
It’s also a lot harder to write myself into a corner if I’m the one who shot all the video. The photographer in me really loves the fact that I can write around my best video and give myself great opportunities for natural sound.
How do you manage your time?
Time management is key. I try to keep to (somewhat) flexible deadlines for shooting, writing and editing. It may not be perfect but I try to make the most of the time I have for each part of the job. I try to remember that if I’m pushing my shooting deadline, I’m going to have to streamline the writing or editing process. I think good work can be done but I find I have to keep myself disciplined. The internal deadlines can also help when plans go astray.
I haven’t really done much anchoring so far but I’d love to hear what others have to say about it.
Here are a few stories that have worked out somewhat OK:
http://www.cnycentral.com/news/video.aspx?id=266001
http://www.cnycentral.com/news/video.aspx?id=268206
http://www.cnycentral.com/news/video.aspx?id=269851